Jump When I Jump
by darkmark111
Summary: In two parts. RonHermione. Voldemort is attacking in the summer before their sixth year, and after everyone around them dies, Ron and Hermione are left with no one. So, they make the journey back to Hogwarts, if only to die trying. Nirvana Songfic!
1. Part 1

Jump When I Jump

BOOM!

Another explosion. The door rattled.

"Do you think they'll find us?" Hermione asked.

"I dunno. Keep quiet." Ron replied.

They were sitting amidst moldy coats and forgotten galoshes in a tiny closet on the second floor of the Headquarters. Something was happening, they weren't sure what. They had been ushered into the closet by Mr. Weasley, who was muttering something about the Death Eaters. They had heard at least six explosions and seven screams since.

Load up on guns  
Bring your friends  
It's fun to lose and to pretend   
She's overborne and self-assured  
Oh no, I know a dirty word

Hermione was sniffing in the corner, hidden by a black trench coat. Ron started to crawl over to her, then fell on his stomach as another explosion shook the house.

"What is going on out there? Are we going to die, Ron?" Hermione sniffed.

"No, I don't know." Ron muttered. He could see a sliver of her pale face in the dark. He wiped her tears away with his thumb. She smiled weakly but appreciatively.

"Where's Harry?"

"I don't know."

"What do you think is going on?"

Ron hesitated. What he really thought was going on made him sick to his stomach.

Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?  
Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?  
Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?  
Hello, hello, hello, hello

He put an arm around her comfortingly. She leaned on him. For a moment, Ron froze.

I've wanted to hold this girl for seven years, but I've always hesitated, and in a time like this I act so freely.

He closed his eyes for a minute.

With the Lights out it's less dangerous  
Here we are now entertain us   
I feel stupid and contagious  
Here we are now entertain us  
A mulatto an albino  
A mosquito my libido  
yah

Her warmth was resonating. It consumed him wholly. Without a moments hesitation, he found her lips in the dark. She kissed back.

Her love was a gift, and he accepted it blindly.

I'm worse at what I do best  
And for this gift I feel blessed  
Our little group has always been  
And always will until the end

He felt hot tears clinging to her cheek. But instead of breaking away to cry, she only kissed him harder. She wouldn't let go. He drew breath in a dry hiss. He ran his fingers through her hair like he had always wanted to. This was his dream now, nothing real, nothing tangible, just mist.

Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?  
Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?  
Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?  
Hello, hello, hello, hello

"Do you love me? Do you love me?" he asked in between vicious kisses.

"I do." She replied, grasping the back of his neck.

"Then trust me." He broke away, grabbed her hand and threw open the door savagely. She screamed bloody protest but he had her in a death grip.

With the Lights out it's less dangerous  
Here we are now entertain us   
I feel stupid and contagious  
Here we are now entertain us  
A mullato an albino  
A mosquito my libido  
yay  
Bridge-

Using all his five senses Ron could never completely decipher what he saw. It was bloody chaos; death and life and wind and rain and ice and fire; all of everything and nothing there.

Bodies lined the hallway; he didn't stop to identify them. They passed one that might have been his father, but he couldn't tell. It might have been Lupin just as well.

They had just gotten to the top of the staircase when the floor began to crack.

And I forget just why I taste  
Oh yeah I guess it makes me smile  
I found it hard it's hard to find  
Oh well whatever never mind

If either of them screamed neither of them heard it. The blood was pumping much too noisily to make anything heard. They stopped for a split second and watched the cracks widen and expand. Ron knew then what they had to do.

"JUMP, HERMIONE!" He bellowed. "JUMP!"

Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?  
Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?  
Hello, hello, hello, hello, how low?  
Hello, hello, hello, hello

As the house split in two, they hurled themselves off the ground and past the stairs. They flew through the air and fell, perhaps to death, but it was better than what they were facing otherwise.

They both hit the ground with the sickening thud and got a mouthful of dirt each. When Ron looked up, Hermione was lying in a twisted heap beside him. He almost started to weep when he saw that they were still holding hands.

"Ron." She whispered. He pulled her up and they looked at the ruins behind them.

With the Lights out it's less dangerous  
Here we are now entertain us   
I feel stupid and contagious  
Here we are now entertain us  
A mulatto an albino  
A mosquito my libido  
A denial

"You trusted me." Ron remarked, staring at the ruins.

"I've always trusted you."

"Then trust me when I say we're not alone."

Slowly, with wands out, they walked away from the house and began the journey back to Hogwarts.


	2. Part 2

"We're not going to make it back to Hogwarts tonight, Hermione." Ron said as they walked, hand in hand. Ron slid his away. It was sweaty and cold and he didn't want her to feel that. He wiped it on his robes.

"I realize that." She said quietly.

"Then we'll have to make camp." He stated.

They stopped at a little clearing in the trees. "I've only just realized something, Hermione. We can't use magic."

"I know."

"Then what'll we make a tent out of?"

"Sticks and leaves, I guess. Help me gather some." They went around, pulling branches of trees. They stripped them of leaves, laid the branches against each other to make a tiny teepee, and used the leaves and some mud to patch the holes. By the time they had finished that, they were already tired, so Ron let Hermione rest and proceeded to make a fire.

He had only just noticed that she was sobbing.

-

She eyes me like a Pisces when I am weak  
I've been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks  
I've been drawn into your magnet tar pit trap  
I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn back

-

He dropped the sticks. "Hermione, what's wrong?" He ran and knelt next to her.

"Don't you know? Don't you know?" She wept repeatedly. Tears were pouring from her irritated eyes now. 

Suddenly, Ron heard a noise. His head shot up. He looked around.

Nothing there.

"Hermione, you might have to be a little quieter." He whispered.

"Why?" she asked, annoyed.

He merely put a finger to his lips. She glared at him.

-

Hey  
Wait  
I've got a new complaint  
Forever in debt to your priceless advice  
Hate

-

He went back to his fire-building as she wiped her tears away. He felt like a pair of eyes was on the back of his neck. His chest prickled.

Finally, he got the fire going. He smiled admiringly at his work.

"What's for eating?" Hermione asked.

"Well…good question. If we can find a deer and kill it, then that's it. If not, berries." He answered.

"You know there are no deer around here, Ronald." Hermione said dryly.

"Yes, I know. Go find some berries." 

"Hmph…"

-

Hey  
Wait  
I've got a new complaint  
Forever in debt to your priceless advice  
Your advice

-

When Hermione returned, she had handfuls of something. Moments later, she dumped them next to the fire. They were blackberries.

"Oh, well done!" Ron said, offering a kiss on the cheek. She smiled, although it was more like a twitch.

They ate richly (in terms of blackberries) that night and slept on beds of pine needles.

The next night they were nearly to Hogwarts. The school year wasn't due to start until next week, but it would take too long to get to The Burrow or Hermione's parents' house.

"I'm so happy! We're finally here!" Hermione announced, clutching Ron's arm. He smiled awkwardly.

"I know you are." Ron whispered.

But when they turned the bend, however, their faces fell.

If either of them screamed, neither heard it.

Hogwarts was in ruins.

The walls had fallen to piles of stone on the ground, glass had obviously been shattered, the grounds had been blackened by a raging fire that was still smoldering in the places, but the worst part was that the lake had turned blood red.

"Oh god!" Hermione cried. "What have they done? _What have they done?_"

She was turning to the point of hysterical. Ron grabbed her and forced her against his chest. She wept and screamed openly. Whilst she was with him, he walked through the gates.

"You stay here." He said, his voice stony and dispassionate. He placed her against the gate and went down to the lake. First he walked, then jogged; ran, then sprinted to the water's edge.

He tried to find the source of the red hue. Shadows drifted just beneath the surface of the lake. He cringed and began walking up and down the shoreline. He was just about to give up the search (for whatever he was searching for) when a hand drifted onto shore.

"Aah!" he cried, twitching. He ran back to Hermione, panting and trying not to vomit. 

"What? What did you find?" she asked, wrapping her sweatshirt tighter around her.

"Um…nothing. Let's…" she looked pointedly at him. "I think we should wait here. The ministry is bound to arrive."

"Yes…alright." Hermione replied, though she looked as though she would rather die. 

-

Meat-eating orchids forgive no one just yet  
Cut myself angel's hair and baby's breath  
Broken hymen of your highness I'm left black  
Throw down your umbilical noose so I can climb right back

-

They traveled to the Quidditch Pitch. All the towers had been strewn down on the field, the poles bent at odd angles. They made camp in one of the fallen towers. Hermione sobbed the whole time.

"But…I thought spells had been placed on this castle, ones that insured it would never be destroyed!" she said at one point.

"Old spells can die, just as new ones can be born." Ron answered sagely. She didn't say much after that.

The tower they were in (Gryfinndor, of course) was wide, spacious, and hollowed, except for the stairs, which didn't bother them too much. There was enough room to sprawl, sit, lie, or stand, and still be comfortable. There were cracks in the battered wood, however, and a cold air was blowing in. Ron looked out one of the cracks.

There were people. He almost shouted, but then, as he saw their attire, he contained himself. They were wearing black robes and masks. They were standing in a circle. 

Hermione looked at him curiously.

-

Hey  
Wait  
I've got a new complaint  
Forever in debt to your priceless advice  
Hate

-

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

"N-nothing." He replied, and went over to her. _Last chance,_ he thought. It was horribly unromantic, but he proceeded anyways.

He unzipped the zipper.

"Ron, what are you doing?" she questioned nervously.

He didn't reply. He just went on undressing her.

"Ron…" but she lost her sentence and let him finish. Then she undressed him.

Oh, they were both so weak in mind and body. But their hearts and souls were still burning. Sex was proof.

-

She eyes me like a Pisces when I am weak  
I've been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks  
I've been drawn into your magnet tar pit trap  
I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn back

-

Ron made it as good for her as he could. He didn't even care about himself anymore. All he cared about was Hermione, what was best for her, what would make her happy, and right now he knew just what that was.

When they were finished, he said, "I need to tell you something and I need you to remain calm, Hermione."

She looked alarmed already. "What is it?"

"There are people out there."

"The Ministry."

He shook his head slowly. Terror seized her. Her eyes went wide. Luckily, she didn't cry out.

"They were bound to have heard us." Ron said sorely. "You know what that means."

She stepped towards him with angry tears in her eyes. "Why? Why did you do that to me if you knew they were out there?"

"Because they've already won!" he growled. "Do you think I would have done it if I'd thought we'd had even the slightest bit of chance of getting away?"

She looked away quickly, as if he had struck her. 

-

Hey  
Wait  
I've got a new complaint  
Forever in debt to your priceless advice  
Hate

-

"Now," he continued. "We have two choices. We can give ourselves up to them, or we can kill ourselves. And I imagine we don't have much time."

She looked at him, tears in her eyes. "The latter."

He gulped. "All right." He got his wand ready. "One."

She stared at him.

"Two."

He could hear the Death Eaters just outside.

_Can I do this?_ Ron wondered.

And now, it is for you, the reader, to decide whether he did it or not.

-

Hey  
Wait  
I've got a new complaint  
_Forever in debt to your priceless advice_  
Hate

-

FIN


End file.
